Photography by Bob Montanaro

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Portraits of the South ORCA Scrub

Photos from a walk through the South Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA) scrub with Janice Broda and Sam the dog. The South ORCA property is a good example of why wildfires are so important in keeping the rapidly fading Florida scrub healthy as a habitat evolved through thousands of years of periodic, lightning-induced fire now denied. Rather than being an open, vibrant community of fire tolerant plants and animals, including the Florida Scrub-Jay, this is an overgrown miasma of indulgent greenery that looks like it would be more home in a gothic novel. This area is doomed not to be burned due to the proximity of nearby houses so it will only get worse. Still, it makes for an interesting walk . . . .